Mortar shells hit Afghan capital, killing at least 1

Two shells hit the compound of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport

December 12, 2020 11:59 am | Updated 11:59 am IST - Kabul

In this file photo, families and friends of students who were killed in local conflicts gather at the graves of their relatives, adorned with their pictures, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Optimism among Afghans regarding the country's peace process has decreased significantly in the past few months amid a spike in violence, according to a survey released on December 11, 2020.

In this file photo, families and friends of students who were killed in local conflicts gather at the graves of their relatives, adorned with their pictures, on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Optimism among Afghans regarding the country's peace process has decreased significantly in the past few months amid a spike in violence, according to a survey released on December 11, 2020.

An early morning barrage of mortar shells slammed into the Afghan capital on Saturday, killing at least one civilian and wounding a second, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.

Two shells hit the compound of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. The shells were fired from the northern edge of the capital and from a vehicle, spokesman Tariq Arian said.

No one took immediate responsibility for the attack. Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate has carried out similar attacks in the past, including last month when it claimed credit for firing over two dozens mortar rounds that killed eight civilians and wounded 31.

The IS affiliate, known as IS in Khorasan Province, has claimed responsibility for a series of devastating attacks in Kabul in recent months including on educational institutions that killed at least 50 people, most of them students.

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